Man has been producing cheese ever since he realized that mammals produce milk. Centuries ago, in an attempt to save and preserve excess milk, someone invented, or discovered the concept of cheese. The focus of this article is the specialty cheeses that are made by hand in limited quantities. We call them Artisan cheeses.

People have always enjoyed cheese, and historically it's been as much a part of the American scene as hot dogs and apple pie. But in Europe, where people have traditionally enjoyed a more serious appreciation of fine food and wine, cheese has been much more of an integral part of the dining experience. As Americans travel more in Europe, and are exposed to the European respect of things like cheese, they bring this appreciation home with them. The end result is a whole new demand for all kinds of more sophisticated cheeses.

We see it everyday at the retail level. People return from a vacation abroad, or around the country, and they want a particular cheese they have experienced, or they hope to duplicate a recipe, or they simply hope to relive their trip. This is basically how we started to get involved with the Artisan cheeses.

One of our first requests was for a wonderful cheese called ReBlochon, a full-flavored, raw milk, unpasteurized cheese from France. Now it's unthinkable to go a week without re-stocking it. Our selections just continued to grow to the point where we always carry dozens of Artisan cheeses at any one time, and every week, we discover something new, and add it to our inventory.

These specialty, Artisan cheeses come from all over the country as well as from France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Greece. They're produced from the milk of goats, cows, sheep, and buffalo, and range in texture from very soft, soft, semi-soft, semi-hard to hard. They also range in flavor from mild, to strong, to sharp, and are shaped and molded by hand, and packaged delicately and beautifully.

It's interesting to note that most of my customers believe that the imported product is far superior to the cheeses made here in America. This is no longer the case. American producers' are now turning out world class cheeses, and very often, they're less expensive and much more accessible. We carry a couple lines of domestics that are simply superior

to the imports. In this case the prices are the same, and like anything else, the prices reflect the quality and the care that's put into the final product. And to the cheese lover, the Artisan cheeses are well worth the investment to assure a richer and more flavored product which they have come to appreciate.

As this new found discovery of cheese is reflected in our retail business, it's perfectly understandable that it's also taking place in the restaurants. It's certainly no surprise that the cheese board is indeed making a major comeback, and that restaurant customers are looking for more when it comes to cheeses.

We service many restaurants including Le-Bec-Fin; Ciboulette; Aglio; the Four Seasons; Sonoma, Kansas City Prime, and the Arroya Grill; the Chart House; IL Portico; Frederick's; Dmitri's, and Pamplona; Katmandu; etc., etc. It's fun to constantly introduce and recommend cheese selections to the various chefs, and the benefit of working with us is selection, (hundreds of varieties), service, (always the most important) and their ability to buy in any quantity, (it's expensive to have quality cheeses sitting on your shelf).

It's the old story, once you taste quality, it's something you come to expect. The growth of specialty cheese has been incredible, and the good news is that it's only the beginning!